In the News

November 29, 2016 | Democratic House Speaker Tip O’Neill famously claimed that “all politics is local.” True, but it’s increasingly global as well — especially for the roughly 5.7 million U.S. citizens living outside the nation’s borders. Whatever the reason for their travels, Americans abroad can and do participate in politics and give to campaigns. The Federal Voting Assistance…

November 15, 2016 | Updated Nov. 16. Update Dec. 1. President-elect Donald Trump chose retired Marine Gen. James N. Mattis as Secretary of Defense. President-elect Donald Trump has made inflammatory comments about some of the nation’s current or possible defense policies. He has hinted at a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, supported use of nuclear weapons, called NATO…

November 10, 2016 | While super PACs and other outside groups went on a jaw-dropping spending spree this year, traditional party organizations played key roles in boosting their candidates, often taking the lead in making independent expenditures in the cycle’s barnburner races. Together, the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee raised a combined $1.7 billion through Oct. 19,…

November 4, 2016 | Active and retired members of the military have been showing far more support for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton than for her Republican rival, at least as measured by the checks they’ve written to her campaign. Individuals who listed their employers as the U.S. Department of Defense or major branches of the military, or who…

October 28, 2016 | Washington thrives on speculation and now, after months of guessing at things like primary contenders and vice presidential picks, it’s time to draft potential cabinets. With no shortage of well-educated guesses on who might lead the various executive departments, certain names crop up more often than others, often officials and bureaucrats with substantial political and policy…

October 13, 2016 | If you think campaign finance is just a right-wing billionaires’ spending spree, take another look. Liberal money has been pouring into federal elections in recent years. In 2012, when post-Citizen United money started flowing in earnest, wealthy Republicans took the leading roles. The number of individuals making contributions of $1 million or more grew from 16 in 2010…

September 29, 2016 | Donald Trump and Mitt Romney may not have much in common, and the 2012 GOP presidential nominee has made no bones about his visceral dislike of the pugilistic businessman who is carrying his party’s banner this time around. When it comes to campaign fundraising, though, there’s a lot of overlap in their pools of donors.…

September 22, 2016 | Many polls suggest the presidential race has gotten closer in recent weeks, but the financial status of the two campaigns and their allies is far less competitive. Since Citizens United and other court decisions beginning in 2010 changed the landscape of federal campaign finance, it makes sense to look at presidential financing as a three-legged stool.…

September 21, 2016 | Count former House Speaker John Boehner as the latest not-quite-a-lobbyist. For nearly a decade, the number of registered lobbyists has slipped each year. This summer, the figure finally dipped below 10,000 — the lowest it’s been since the Center for Responsive Politics began keeping track in 1998. And that drop in lobbyists has been accompanied…

September 14, 2016 | One-term Sen. Mark Kirk‘s success or failure in his heated struggle to retain his seat will help determine whether Republicans or Democrats control the Senate come January. No surprise, then, that the race’s fundraising totals have soared. The most recent fundraising reports show that Kirk, a Republican, and his opponent, Democratic Rep. Tammy Duckworth, each had raised more than $10…

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